Behave Like a Christian

^9 (A)Let love be without hypocrisy. ^(B)Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. ^10 (C)Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, ^(D)in honor giving preference to one another; ¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ^12 (E)rejoicing in hope, ^(F)patient^[a] in tribulation, ^(G)continuing steadfastly in prayer; ^13 (H)distributing to the needs of the saints, ^(I)given^[b] to hospitality.

^14 (J)Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ^15 (K)Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ^16 (L)Be of the same mind toward one another. ^(M)Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

^17 (N)Repay no one evil for evil. ^(O)Have^[c] regard for good things in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, ^(P)live peaceably with all men. ¹⁹ Beloved, ^(Q)do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ^(R)“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but ^(T)overcome evil with good.

²² that you ^(A)put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³ and ^(B)be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you ^(C)put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

²⁵ Therefore, putting away lying, ^(D)“Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for ^(E)we are members of one another. ^26 (F)“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, ^27 (G)nor give ^[a]place to the devil. ²⁸ Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather ^(H)let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something ^(I)to give him who has need. ^29 (J)Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but ^(K)what is good for necessary ^[b]edification, ^(L)that it may impart grace to the hearers. ³⁰ And ^(M)do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ^31 (N)Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, ^[c]clamor, and ^(O)evil speaking be put away from you, ^(P)with all malice. ³² And ^(Q)be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ^(R)forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Walk in Love

5 Therefore^(A) be imitators of God as dear ^(B)children. ² And ^(C)walk in love, ^(D)as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God ^(E)for a sweet-smelling aroma.

³ But fornication and all ^(F)uncleanness or ^(G)covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; ^4 (H)neither filthiness, nor ^(I)foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, ^(J)which are not fitting, but rather ^(K)giving of thanks. ⁵ For ^[a]this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any ^(L)inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not be ^(M)partakers with them.

Walk in Light

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are ^(N)light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹ (for ^(O)the fruit of the ^[b]Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), ^10 (P)finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. ¹¹ And have ^(Q)no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather ^[c]expose them. ^12 (R)For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. ¹³ But ^(S)all things that are ^[d]exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. ¹⁴ Therefore He says:

Walk in Wisdom

^15 (U)See then that you walk ^[e]circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ^16 (V)redeeming the time, ^(W)because the days are evil.

^17 (X)Therefore do not be unwise, but ^(Y)understand ^(Z)what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And ^(AA)do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another ^(AB)in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making ^(AC)melody in your heart to the Lord, ^20 (AD)giving thanks always for all things to God the Father ^(AE)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^21 (AF)submitting to one another in the fear of ^[f]God.

Marriage—Christ and the Church^(AG)

²² Wives, ^(AH)submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For ^(AI)the husband is head of the wife, as also ^(AJ)Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. ²⁴ Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands ^(AK)in everything.

^25 (AL)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and ^(AM)gave Himself for her, ²⁶ that He might ^[g]sanctify and cleanse her ^(AN)with the washing of water ^(AO)by the word, ^27 (AP)that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, ^(AQ)not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. ³⁰ For ^(AR)we are members of His body, ^[h]of His flesh and of His bones. ^31 (AS)“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the ^(AT)two shall become one flesh.” ³² This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. ³³ Nevertheless ^(AU)let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she ^(AV)respects her husband.

Children and Parents^(A)

6 Children, ^(B)obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ^2 (C)“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: ³ “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

⁴ And ^(D)you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but ^(E)bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Bondservants and Masters

^5 (F)Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, ^(G)with fear and trembling, ^(H)in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; ^6 (I)not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, ^8 (J)knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

⁹ And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that ^[a]your own ^(K)Master also is in heaven, and ^(L)there is no partiality with Him.

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ^11 (M)Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the ^[b]wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against ^(N)principalities, against powers, against ^(O)the rulers of ^[c]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ^13 (P)Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand ^(Q)in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, ^(R)having girded your waist with truth, ^(S)having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ^15 (T)and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking ^(U)the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And ^(V)take the helmet of salvation, and ^(W)the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ^18 (X)praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, ^(Y)being watchful to this end with all perseverance and ^(Z)supplication for all the saints—

Not Carnality but Christ

3 If then you were ^(A)raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, ^(B)where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the ^(C)earth. ^3 (D)For you died, ^(E)and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ^4 (F)When Christ who is ^(G)our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in ^(H)glory.

^5 (I)Therefore put to death ^(J)your members which are on the earth: ^(K)fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, ^(L)which is idolatry. ^6 (M)Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon ^(N)the sons of disobedience, ^7 (O)in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

^8 (P)But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, ¹⁰ and have put on the new man who ^(Q)is renewed in knowledge ^(R)according to the image of Him who ^(S)created him, ¹¹ where there is neither ^(T)Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, ^(U)but Christ is all and in all.

Character of the New Man

¹² Therefore, ^(V)as the elect of God, holy and beloved, ^(W)put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ^13 (X)bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ^14 (Y)But above all these things ^(Z)put on love, which is the ^(AA)bond of perfection. ¹⁵ And let ^(AB)the peace of God rule in your hearts, ^(AC)to which also you were called ^(AD)in one body; and ^(AE)be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another ^(AF)in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷ And ^(AG)whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The Christian Home^(AH)

^18 (AI)Wives, submit to your own husbands, ^(AJ)as is fitting in the Lord.

^19 (AK)Husbands, love your wives and do not be ^(AL)bitter toward them.

^20 (AM)Children, obey your parents ^(AN)in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

^21 (AO)Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

^22 (AP)Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. ^23 (AQ)And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ^24 (AR)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; ^(AS)for^[a] you serve the Lord Christ. ²⁵ But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and ^(AT)there is no partiality.